Ko Libong

Ko Libong is the largest island in Trang province and is not a resort island - it has around three thousand residents in Muslim fishing villages, rubber and a mangrove coast, with a small number of guesthouses. Its significance is ecological: the seagrass beds on the eastern side support the largest remaining dugong population in Thailand, somewhere in the low hundreds, and the island has been part of a non-hunting area of about 447 square kilometres of land and sea since 1979, with a protection unit. Dugongs graze the seagrass at high tide and boat trips go out to look for them, with sightings possible but far from guaranteed - a surfacing back and a tail is the usual view. The population is under pressure from boat strikes, net entanglement and seagrass loss, and the death of a rescued calf, Mariam, in 2019 with plastic in her stomach drew national attention. The island is quiet, conservative and geared to fishing rather than visitors.

The landscape

• The seagrass meadows - the feeding grounds on the eastern side.
• The dugongs - Thailand's main population, seen from boats with luck.
• The fishing villages - a working Muslim community of about three thousand.
• The mangrove coast - birdlife including migratory waders.

When to go

November to April. Dugong trips go at high tide when the animals come in to graze - operators schedule around it. Ramadan affects opening hours and food availability.

Before you go

Dugong sightings are not guaranteed and are brief when they happen. This is a conservative Muslim community - modest dress is expected and alcohol is limited. Basic accommodation and few facilities.

Nearby

Ko Muk and Ko Kradan are north-west; Hat Yao and the Trang mainland are east.

Key facts